Elie Honig, a CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, is calling out New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to put Attorney General Letitia James in charge of a Cornell University sexual assault investigation, warning that her public comments could undermine confidence in the high-profile case.
Writing for “Stay Tuned with Preet Bharara,” Honig blasted the appointment as a “grievous mistake” and connected his criticism to James’ handling of her civil fraud case against President Donald Trump.
“James is a deeply problematic selection for the most basic of reasons: she has already publicly prejudged this case,” Honig wrote in the biting analysis Monday.
The investigation centers around a former student’s allegation that multiple men raped her at a fraternity house in October 2024. Honig faults Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten for initially declining prosecution after reviewing only a six-page summary of her statement.
“But on Friday, Hochul somehow made it even worse when she announced her decision to appoint James as special prosecutor on the Cornell case,” Honig told readers, arguing that she is a “deeply problematic” selection.
“At a minimum, James’s statement creates the appearance that she has prejudged the case,” Honig wrote.
He also slammed James’ past campaign rhetoric about Trump, including her promise to “be a real pain in the ass,” and accused her of making inflammatory public comments during the civil fraud trial.
Honig said Hochul could have selected an experienced lawyer who had not publicly weighed in on the Cornell allegations.
“We’re about to learn that the only thing more dangerous than a prosecutor without a clue is a prosecutor with an agenda,” Honig concluded.
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